My First Rival
by siakoyukoto
Summary: The first opponent to produce a challenge to young Uchiha Itachi, his battles during the Chuunin exams weren't as easy as one may think.


.My first Rival.

It was early in the day and bright out, the final stage of the Chuunin exams. I was ten years old. It's funny some of the dreams you

have when your sleep. I remembered the face of a person I had not seen in a very long time, her name was Sagawa Moriko. I heard

the watcher for the final battle call her name and then "Uchiha Itachi," I remember the roar of the crowd as we both walked on the

field, I squinted my eyes from the light of the sun. I stopped near the center of the arena and looked up at the wave of people that sat

above us. I was amazed, nervous, it was the first time I had felt this way since the exams started. No one had given me a reason to

be excited but, as my head fell back onto my opponent who stood across from me. I saw the same glum look in her eyes that were in

my own. When I looked upon her I recalled she was only two years older than myself, a prodigy in her right I suppose. I hadn't paid much

attention to the other matches during the preliminaries, so I was at a lost to any of her techniques or her style of fighting. The watcher

told us the same rules we had been told during the preliminary bouts, but all I saw were her eyes staring at me. It was strange I didn't see

the same fear that seemed to be inherent in all my other opponents. It's as if she believed she could defeat me. It was a foolish

thought, I would end this just as quickly as I ended all the others I would not let her suffer, she would only see a dream and wake up in

the medical ward. I had done this to all of my previous contenders, all those that I could that is. I didn't want any of them to sustain any pain if I

could help it. The watcher gave the signal for us to begin, I activated my sharingan, the girl made hand seals, I didn't recognize a few of the seals.

She then pulled out a small baton, she whips it and I watch it extend into a pole. Slamming it to the ground, a weird sensation

moves through me and I see a wave of chakra spread throughout the entire stadium. What did she just do, I wondered. No matter as I

began to close my eyes, I slowly reopened them, hers met mine. It was over now, in a flash I was right next to her in midair I spun a

heel to her temple. . . . ! Metal, my kick had been blocked, but, how? I would have to think about it later, as she countered spinning into

me with holding her staff slamming it down the long way. I dodged and made it to the other side of the arena, she just stood there and looked at me as she had

previously. I vanished once more appearing behind her in midair, kunai in hand. She swung at my head, I was forced into a back flip,

Moriko advanced on me. Her pole twirling in every direction, I saw an opening as I landed on my feet, sprang forward under one swipe

and over another as my kunai closed in on her backside. It was over and after I had promised to make this painless to I felt like scum. The

clash of metal on metal clanged loudly through the arena, the once fussy crowd drew quiet now. They were seeing something new, the golden

child, me. Being given a rough time by Moriko Sagawa who to them was just a nameless ninja. I soon realized my own mistake in

underestimating her. I made distance between us once again, Moriko still stood her ground the pole returned to her side on it's own, I

needed to recap on what had just happened. My genjutsu had failed, somehow and she was using a lightning release I had

never seen before. The staff blocked me without her touching it, how could it do that without her using chakra strings to control it.

When I finally realized what it was my eyes widened, Moriko must have seen the look of discovery on my face as she shot toward me I leapt overhead.

The staff spun in the air alongside me, I dodged as many of it blows as I could it tipped my nose with the last swing. I loud gasp was heard from

the stands as I wiped the blood from my nose, I had seen it. The staff rushed back to her hand, I saw the electricity as it flowed around

her body and when it attacked me. It was magnetism, she was controlling the polarity of her body and the pole allowing it to move in

ways it normally wouldn't. A high level lightning release, she may in fact be a genius. I would try genjutsu once more something simple,

I sent the image of myself sprinting toward her for a direct attack. I made hand seals and shot out "FIRE STYLE, FIREBALL JUTSU!" The

ball of flame lunged at her, I saw the pole spiraling toward me underneath the flames. I jumped as it stabbed into the wall behind me, I looked up

to see we were face to face. She was quite beautiful, blonde hair that shined like the morning sun, green eyes that shimmered,

they were so perfect they looked as though they were made of jade. The pole launched out of the wall and into my chin I twirled in the

air as Moriko grabbed my shoulders, we spun together in the air as birds do when they played except at the end I was impaled on the

pole. My clone was at least, as it vanished in a puff of smoke, she looked over her shoulder and to her dismay there I was "FIRE STYLE

GREAT FIREBALL JUTSU!" a more immense flame than the last hurtled toward the ground, I was to close, the magnetism between the

pole and herself that she used last time would not be quick enough. A massive explosion was heard, I was slammed against the wall

across the arena. I was confused, I know I released it close to myself but the shockwave after the impact shouldn't have been that great. I

began to stand to feet, I felt pain in my chest, but, I was sure it was over. When the dust finally cleared I looked out across the stadium

to see her standing in the sunlight like an angel, she glowed in its rays. I finally saw it, chakra flowing in abundance toward

her eyes, a dojutsu? I must have wore a look of awe because Moriko spoke "You've figure it out, I see. So then you know how this

going to end." I couldn't believe what she was saying to me, what did she mean I knew how this was going to end. How had she

escaped the fireball without any marks on her body? "If I had wanted to, I could have ended this from the beginning, but I needed to

see the famous sharingan, before I left this nation. I suppose you are at a disadvantage since you don't know what your up against. It is

a bit unfair, for that im sorry, but, I have used it before in the prelims." Her words hit me like a kick to the face, I didn't watch the prelims

because I assumed that I didn't need to. I was upset with myself for having over looked her, I could have been more prepared for this

battle. I lifted my head and looked forward once again she stood there holding her staff, waiting. Regardless of what I could have done,

this is what real combat was like, unpredictable. If I could not beat her now, then I would stand no chance in the war outside of this exam.

No matter how it seemed no technique was perfect, they all had flaws. With that I threw multiple kunai, they flew in on her left,

the staff blocked them. I expected as much, I dropped down on her from above, in an instant I was met with a massive force that

sent me spinning back across the arena. Moriko made a hand seal as she released her jutsu, I laid there, she must have felt the fight

was over. The pole shook out of her hand as it began to sporadically hit beat her at incredible speeds. Don't count me out, you'll regret

making that mistake, I thought as I utilized her technique against her. In one final blow the pole slammed down on Moriko so hard dust

picked up. I dropped the technique, I saw now why she released it, it drains a lot of chakra, but, Moriko had been doing this the entire

time while standing there. I heard the familiar sound of a clone dissipating, I figured as much, but I did not see her. "MAGNETIC SEEKER,

JUTSU!" I looked into the air to see her, I heard the sound of something hitting the ground. The pole was gone now, Moriko landed,

this was my chance she had sustained injuries from me using he jutsu on her. As I closed the distance between us, the staff jutted up

in front of me. I dodged to the side, it shot in front of me like a rocket, I hopped backwards. The pole started changing form it almost resembled water

in how it moved. It spun into a massive drill, crashing into the ground. I darted off to the side ducking and dodging, as best I could.

This went on for a few minutes until Moriko dropped to her knees in exhaustion, the drill fell like water out of the sky and onto the

ground. The arena floor looked more like a polka dot pattern, than a battlefield. I was tired, was that her plan to tire me out, too bad.

Moriko had created a network of tunnels that I intended to use, a clone made it's way to the hole behind her it jumped out and

was cut in half. A large saw had sprang out right behind the clone, she must have been following it with that metal. Moriko wasn't as

tired as she wanted me to believe, the saw jumped in front of her and broke into a hundred small metal beads. I saw it this time

the dust made the invisible wall clear as day, the beads scattered along the wall behind me. I managed to dodge the pellets, but, not

the train like wave that nailed me to the wall. My ribs hurt now, but Moriko was tired as well, every time she used that move her

chakra dropped drastically. She sat there breathing heavily, looking into my eyes as I did her. It wasn't over, I wouldn't give in. I had

faced someone that forced me to work so hard, I didn't want it to end. Her gaze did not reflect the same thoughts, It was hard to

describe the look on her face. She took a deep breath and stood up on her shaky legs, I also stood in anticipation of her next attack.

Moriko took a deep breath, and raised her hand "I GIVE UP!" I couldn't believe what I had just heard, surely she could have continued a little

while longer. "Are you sure?" Asked the watcher. She nodded her head saying "I'm all out of chak . ." I cut her off, "Your lying, why

are you lying?!" I was furious, the first opponent I ever wanted to fight and this is how she acted. "Your not being yourself, Itachi."

Moriko said to me in a sweet voice. I couldn't believe it, I was shocked, she was right. How did she know, those eyes. It's as if she

saw right through me, but, not in the same way that the sharingan does. Moriko saw me as the person that I was, like a that mirror reflects the true you, maybe, I wish I had gotten the

chance to ask her. After the match I was told she had left. I wouldn't see her again for a long time. . .

* * *

**AN: Yeah, I'm not the most confident in this piece i feel like. Well yea It could be better, hmm I just it when I was writing it. I hope you enjoy it.**


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